Since she was very young, Evangeline understood that species were different from birth. Humans, Beastkin, Sylvans, World Trees, Life Trees, plants, monsters, and a myriad of other creatures existed and had advantages. But, among all races, the one that looked the most mediocre was the most cruel and cunning. 

Her mother was a World Tree under the Abyssal Void Nexus’ control, and her father… She didn’t know. Since Evangeline had memory, her World Tree mother had different people visit her <Core Room> almost daily, and among all the children that she gave birth to, Evangeline was the only Sylvan. 

Seeing her mother, a World Tree, be so easily controlled and used by humans made her believe that, regardless of racial advantages, humans were a race superior to all others. Hence, she lived her life with that belief. By the time Evangeline was 14, her World Tree mother was considered useless and was corrupted as she watched from outside. 

Evangeline saw how the corrupting energies engulfed and changed the gorgeous World Tree full of life into a leafless tree that looked on the verge of cracking under its own weight. Such a scene was horrifying yet enchanting at the same time for Evangeline. And, the day that happened, Evangeline’s curiosity for <Corruption> became another part of herself. 

The day she unlocked her <System> and saw a lot of promise, the humans in charge of her threw her into a place to learn about the world. Similar to a school, but controlled by humans and for all kinds of plant species. In that place, Evangeline was taught about the state of the world, the dominance of the Abyssal Void Nexus, and the strengths of the human race, like their fertility.  

‘So that’s why so many humans visited her mother during her childhood!’ Evangeline understood. She also learned about how dangerous and harmful World Trees were, clashing with some of the teachings her World Tree mother gave her. So, she hesitated and asked the children.

The first time she did so, it was the first time she was beaten down by the teachers and punished. From then on, she understood that her mother’s words were probably lies, and the teachers here were correct.  

At first, Evangeline’s growth was very slow. Compared to her peers, who had reached the <Second Energy Cycle> by the age of 30 or 40, she was still far away from it. Many mocked her, but Evangeline didn’t care about that.

The reason she was so far behind was that she had been studying how to become a <Corruption> master. So, the day of graduation, when all children needed to show something, Evangeline showed how her Aether Mana corrupted a perfectly healthy tree in less than a few breaths. 

The examiners and those who mocked her looked at Evangeline with looks of surprise and praise for the first time. The feelings at that time were fulfilling and warm. 

And so, Evangeline was not discarded and instead joined the Abyssal Void Nexus forces. No one mocked her for being slow at leveling up, and when she reached Level 25, she was sent on her first mission.

It was a simple mission to conquer a low-level World Tree that the Nexus had located growing on their continent. Evangeline went and, using her insidious methods and knowledge of World Trees from her mother, she managed to not only defeat but also capture the World Tree.  

That day, she saw her first “negative” titles appear as the system spoke disdainfully of her conquest. Sadly for Evangeline’s plans, not all World Trees had <Avatars>. This one was the same, and it made her somewhat frustrated. 

Still, she had studied a lot, and after a while, she came to a realization. ‘I can be the one to give birth to children. The Abyssal Void Nexus needs Sylvans, and a mix of a World Tree and Sylvan has a high chance for that.’ 

So, for around 30 years, Evangeline gave birth to many children from that World Tree, but none were Sylvans. Naturally, the non-Sylvan children were not of use to Evangeline, so she ignored most of them. She knew later on that the reason was that her negative titles affected her ability to reproduce. 

But, since she didn’t know then, she continued trying until one day, she finally gave birth to a Sylvan child. Her level had been stuck for a long time, but knowing that she was finally carrying a child, her face was ecstatic. 

And so, Jolie was born. Of course, once she knew that the World Tree wouldn’t be much of use, she left it to the Abyssal Void Nexus and left with Jolie. She remembered that the day she left, the World Tree was weeping and told her.

“Please, please take care of that child. Please don’t let her end like the others, please.”

Evangeline didn’t answer the World Tree and just left. Later, she knew that because the World Tree wouldn’t level up, it was chopped down for materials. That would be around 10 years later, so Evangeline felt little to nothing. 

Still, unlike what the World Tree feared, the woman didn’t plan to teach her child wrongly, as her own World Tree mother had done to her. So, she educated Jolie from a very young age on corrupt arts and many more. Her child’s talent bloomed like a dark flower, even better than her own, and a new corruption Sylvan was born with the potential of reaching the <Fourth Energy Cycle>.  

Naturally, not to draw too much attention and have her child led astray, Evangeline chose to embark on an expedition to the <Wild Continent> and cultivate her power there. Jolie was more than she ever wanted her child to be. Even though her level was just in the late tens, she managed to control one city called <Mareful City> through blackmail tactics. 

How proud was Evangeline? During that time, she couldn’t pay much more attention though, because an annoying Sylvan called Verena was hunting down and eliminating Nexus Branches left and right with her overpowering summoning tactics. The one-woman army was really hard to deal with, and by the time she read Jolie’s warning about Tianlian Liu Shu, it was a bit late. 

By then, the new World Tree had grown up to be powerful enough to defend itself. “Such a powerful World Tree… Such a talented one…” Evangeline thought with a wicked smile. “How powerful a child between her and Jolie would be?” 

Still, nothing went according to plan for the woman, and eventually, she gave up on her thoughts. Tianlian Liu Shu had grown far too much, and the leaders were too arrogant to realize it. She, who had a World Tree mother and spent decades with another, understood clearly that Tianlian Liu Shu’s growth was far out of the norm. 

Nevertheless, was it Fate? Was it Destiny? Evangeline was later ordered to take over the Wild Continent, and when that occurred, a strange miracle occurred. “A <Sylvan Quest>?” 

<Snuffing Out The Light>.

Such an ominous-sounding Sylvan Quest fell on Evangeline’s lap, making her entire body shiver with excitement. Then, when she saw the conditions of the Quest, her thoughts about giving Tianlian Liu Shu to Jolie disappeared. ‘I want that World Tree for herself. Once I snuff out her light, she will become my beacon of corruption. My Tianlian Liu Shu~.’

And so, she set out on an expedition to capture the supposedly C Tier World Tree. 

‘Was it my greed? Was it my ignorance? Was it my delusions?’

Evangeline saw her life flash before her eyes for a second as the defensive dome above her got shattered by the raw strength of the overwhelmingly powerful World Tree. 

BOOM!!!

The phantom branches landed around her, making the very earth tremble under their might. Looking up at the face on the World Tree’s body, Evangeline’s eyes got stuck on her figure barely hidden by her long branches. ‘Such beauty and strength.’

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

“—other… Mother!”

Jolie’s call reached Evangeline, but she didn’t want to look away at the cold-faced World Tree slaughtering her enemies. She mumbled. “I was wrong…” 

Jolie, looking around at the disaster that the enemy forces were creating, became somewhat scared. In her mind, World Trees were creatures that easily fell when facing corruption. However, the over 2,000-meter-tall being in front of them loomed over them like an insurmountable mountain. 

Evangeline muttered as she gazed at Liu Shu’s warring goddess-like figure. “How can humans fight a mature World Tree?” 

Jolie and the other advisors frowned as they looked at their leader. Jolie shook her arm, her tone urgent. “Mother, snap out of it! What are you talking about!?”

Evangeline chuckled. “It wasn’t World Trees that were weak… It was just my mother who was weak. If I had been her child, what would’ve become of my life?” 

One nearby general shouted. “Move! Tianlian Liu Shu is attacking here!”

Jolie grabbed her mother and jumped away, using her Aether Mana to launch her into the distance and barely dodge the giant root. 

BOOM!!

The shockwave slammed against them, sending their bodies flying. Evangeline and Jolie slammed against several tents before they stopped. The white-haired Sylvan shook her head and blew the cloths around her with a burst of ternary essences. Looking around with a cold face, she could easily see how her army was collapsing and being picked apart by the enemy. 

Fortuna also joined the fight now that the enemy didn’t have defensive measures, using her mastery over Anima Energy to create powerful area-of-effect attacks that could damage souls. 

Wherever Fortuna’s attack landed, people would scream as they bled from their noses, eyes, ears, and mouths. Meanwhile, Liu Shu was much more physical. What destroyed the enemy army was her roots, branches, and Aether Mana attacks slamming against groups of people without mercy. Their whip-like attacks scarred the land and slaughtered all who had enough bad luck to be in their path.  

“Behind us! We are being ambushed from our rear!”

Evangeline turned around and saw a sea of ants of different sizes and colors appear from the ground like a swarm of locusts. Her eyebrow raised as she looked at the ants. “The ants are actually participating in the war?”

She knew about them, but she always thought that they were just sharing territory, not living together to such a degree. However, as she was thinking, Evangeline saw one creature that made all her thoughts come to a stop for a second.

A tall, red-haired woman with a curvy figure was stepping toward her. However, this woman was not fully human. Her eyes were insectoid compound black eyes, and two antennae sprouted from her forehead and bobbed with her sensual steps. The large ant abdomen behind her was covered in a shiny red carapace, beautiful enough to look like polished rubies. 

The lips of that creature were arched coldly, and around her body, the Queenly aura made all creatures in her way tremble. No one dared to face that being, as those who identified her for what she was almost passed out in fear. 

Evangeline muttered, her eyes showing shock. “Humanoid… Ant Queen?”

Ignatia glared at Evangeline and spoke with a murderous tone. “How did your corruption attempt go, Evangeline? Did you have fun trying to corrupt my eldest baby?”

“Huh?” Evangeline couldn’t process who the creature of legends was speaking about. She had no recollection of messing with an ant in the past. 

Still, it mattered not. Ignatia, wearing gorgeous red armor fabricated by Liu Shu herself, condemned her baby’s most dangerous enemy. “Evangeline, for even attempting to make my beautiful daughter suffer through corruption again, I’ll deal with you personally. Don’t worry about your daughter; we’ve prepared those whom she hurt in the past to take revenge.” 

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep